2015: Obasanjo In Secret Meetings With Mark, Tinubu, Ladoja, Others In Abeokuta
BEVERLY HILLS, October 03, (THEWILL) - As the preparations and consultations towards the 2015 presidential race gather momentum, former President, General Olusegun Obasanjo, Friday, hosted Senate President David Mark; All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and other leading politicians to separate secret meetings at his Hilltop Mansion in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Though Mark arrived the Hilltop Mansion separately with Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, Senator Polycarp Nwite and PDP Women leader, Chief Josephine Anenih, at about 2pm and left at about 3.45pm, others at the meeting included Senator Rasheed Ladoja of Accord Party (AP) and former Ondo State governor, Segun Oni.
Describing Obasanjo as the father of the nation who is key to the progress of Nigeria, Mark said “that's why I'm here to pay homage.”
According to the Senate President, “We have come to discuss with him (Obasanjo) and raise some basic issues that affect both the party and the nation at large.' On the nature of their discussion, Mark said “They were discussions that would move this nation forward, ' adding 'You know his passion for this nation is unquantifiable, so we have really had a good discussion session with him.”
When asked if the crisis in the Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was part of their discussion, the Senate President said: “We are working as a party to make sure we put everybody who wants to be on board, on board and congresses are coming up; so I think this is normal.”
Speaking earlier after meeting with former President Obasanjo, Tinubu said he was at the Hilltop Mansion to discuss because “we cannot know it all.”
According to the APC Leader, “We need to consult. Equally, we took an observation of his former boys who are running for presidency in our party, and sought his opinion about them.
“But I would not tell you what the discussion was about, but you are privileged to have heard why I am here, I will not tell you.'
Commenting on Nigeria at 54, Tinubu described the country as an “invalid baby in the incubator,” as he restated his call for what he described as 'a commonsense revolution.'
According to Tinubu, “There is a need for a common sense revolution. With a common sense revolution to overhaul our security, the army will respect the people; with a common sense revolution in job creation, there will be better conditions of living for everybody.'
He stated further: “It is high time we took our country back from corruption and replace the clueless leaders with the purposeful, revolutionary leaders that will rehabilitate this country and fix everything back. It is a rescue mission, we must take our country back from mismanagement.
“We are still an invalid baby in the incubator, that is the truth, we are blessed with human capital, but we have not developed it. Today, in the education sector, we have been relegated from the level of world-class institutions like Oxford, Cambridge and other best universities in the world to a third class.
“You have information technology that has taken over the rest of the world but the infrastructure that would make a distance between Ibadan and Lagos faster, enjoyable and make a tourist fall in love with this country are not available.
“Functional facilities are not available, pipe borne water is not available, we have an army of unemployed graduates who stampede, maiming and injuring themselves to find their daily needs. Yet, we have a nation that has not grown up at age 54.
“We have not grown up, we have not been sincere with the people at 54; that is why you find a lot of people seeking salvation all over from the churches, that is the truth.
“We don't have good leaders, they are clueless, while the followers appear sadistic and we are like being punished.”